Light of Dawn

by Angela Colsin

  In response to the ethereal sight, Ulric's horns protruded, eyes glowed, and fangs sharpened in Wrath—the dragon blood within him stirring in full recognition of his eternal mate.

  She is the one.

  Ulric felt as if he couldn't catch his breath, a weight dropping from his chest in knowing for certain as he looked upon her. She was gorgeous, even radiant in the dying light of the evening, and he could only wonder how he'd gotten so fortunate.

  There was more than just relief, however, such as intense need, raw and unrelenting. This was the woman he'd been longing to find, and just as all draconians experienced, he was in Wrath with heavy desire.

  So fighting to keep the thought of claiming her out of his head for now was necessary when her entire life had just changed. Ulric kept his distance even though he wanted nothing more than to take her back to his room and keep her there all night—or just take her on the blanket.

  But those thoughts came to a stop when Charlotte turned her head, and even from nearly twenty feet, he could tell her green eyes had become much more vivid.

  He watched her carefully, wondering how she'd react to his presence. Would she recognize their connection? Perhaps, but she could still push him away in uncertainty, likely feeling strained with all of the changes she was adapting—

  “Ulric!”

  After exclaiming his name, she stood from the stump and began running toward him. The vines that once clung to her faded from sight, and Ulric caught her in his arms, unsure why she'd so eagerly come to him, but held on tight.

  When she rested her head against his chest, need ate at him. Stroking his hands along her back, he wondered how the hell he was supposed to resist the urges driving him when she was so close.

  But Ulric would've gladly waited an entire lifetime just to see her, let alone hold her, telling himself whatever she needs, give.

  And he planned to give her everything.

  Chapter 27

  Life as a fae was going to be decidedly different.

  When Charlotte opened her eyes that morning, she was wracked with questions, unsure of both where and what she was. Had the previous evening's events merely been a dream, or had she changed?

  Her answer came when dawn's light drew her to one of the windows. There, with the sun shining down, she felt renewed, energized, and it was a wonderful sensation, meaning last night had definitely been real. The sunlight rejuvenated her even more fully than a few hours of sleep, the puncture wounds in her neck closing up completely as she looked over the forest under an early morning lavender sky laying beyond the grounds of the estate.

  She felt connected to it, aware of the life in the very Earth. The new senses consumed her so thoroughly that she didn't even realize Isadora was there until the fae spoke, mentioning the need to talk with Dalris before going on any nature hikes.

  It was then that Charlotte realized she'd been sleeping in Ulric's room at his brother's manor, and went to explain what happened to Dalris and Isadora. As for Ulric, they didn't know until later in the day when he'd called to check on Charlotte that he'd been ambushed for the same reason she was lured out of the Spire.

  But he was fine, and she could only wonder how he'd react to what happened. Will he recognize me as his mate now?

  The thought that he wouldn't was incredibly depressing when her own interest hadn't died with her transition, making her curious to know if she had any lingering issues with arousal. So she tried imagining something erotic—Ulric nude above her, his hips thrusting between her legs, and when the lust those images provoked made her nipples strain and her panties damp, Charlotte had her verdict. No impotency here.

  But would she be ready for what came next? Her transition was enough to adjust to without adding an eternal relationship to the mix, and she'd thought there would be more time to get to know Ulric before this happened.

  Still, it seemed pointless to worry until he returned, so she tried to keep her mind off of it by focusing on adapting to her new senses, announcing her desire to take a short stroll.

  In response, Isadora inexplicably snickered, and Charlotte soon realized it was because a new world was waiting outside, one she couldn't stop herself from exploring.

  What was intended as a short stroll became a long hike.

  The older fae joined her, and Charlotte learned that while her senses made her aware of life around her, such as animals scurrying by, the dead would evade her perception—yet another reason vampires were so dangerous to the fae.

  But she enjoyed herself, cultivating a portion of the woods under her new influence with Isadora's help. Soon, the woods were greener, making for a lovely scene—and Charlotte felt at peace with it. Though her abilities were strange in being so new, she couldn't describe them as anything other than natural, and didn't feel overwhelmed whatsoever.

  No, this was serene, peaceful, and most importantly, manageable.

  Toward evening, she took a seat on a tree stump to rest where Isadora spread out a blanket to sit on for a small picnic consisting of a few random snacks from the manor—but they didn't actually satisfy her hunger. While Charlotte could eat, the flowering vines continually wrapping around her from the ground were a physical connection to the earth that nurtured her energy the way food nourished a human.

  She discussed it with Isadora, and their conversation inevitably turned to Ulric, who'd been on her mind almost constantly that day. When she related her worries for him, Isadora volunteered to see if he'd returned.

  Charlotte decided to wait outside in the meantime, feeling a mixture of eagerness and reluctance to see him again. After everything that had happened over the past twenty-four hours, she wanted Ulric there, but at the same time, she wasn't sure what to expect now that she was immortal.

  It wasn't too long before her senses flared either, telling her someone was entering the area, but not just anyone—this being was familiar. She hesitated over the sensation, then finally looked to see the same draconian she'd been thinking about emerging from the trees.

  All of her questions faded away as she gazed upon him. Ulric's eyes and markings glowed with his horns glinting in the setting sun, and the intense look on his face was focused solely on her.

  Charlotte sucked in a breath, her heart skipping, knowing what his Wrath meant from her time spent at the Spire—I am his mate.

  Nervous excitement welled in the pit of her stomach, but Charlotte found herself rushing to him, needing to get closer. The moment she was wrapped in his arms, a sense of connection filled her unlike anything she'd ever experienced as a part of her thought this is where I want to be.

  That new bond consumed her, overwriting all other concerns.

  “Are you okay?” Ulric asked, his voice strained.

  “I feel a little strange,” she admitted, rubbing her cheek against his chest, “but I'm okay. Did you talk to Dalris?”

  “Yes, I know what happened last night.” His grip on her tightened as he growled the words, “I should've been there.”

  Charlotte frowned, meeting his gaze. “No, you had a lead. Besides, I took care of myself. I'm actually glad you weren't there.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because now I know I don't have to rely on anyone. It's reassuring after hiding in a Spire for two weeks. I'm not just a victim, and I can fight back.”

  He didn't look satisfied, his lips set in a hard line, probably feeling some measure of guilt. So she leaned up and kissed him, hoping to wipe the frown off of his face—not to mention it was all she could think about.

  When he groaned into her mouth, returning it as if a dam had burst, she clutched him more tightly, forgetting to breathe. It was hard to believe anything could feel as good as simply having Ulric's arms around her, but kissing him was so much better.

  Soon, his mouth broke from hers and, as if unable to get enough, he turned his lips against her neck, then up to her now pointed ear where he nibbled along the tip before rasping, “I was right, Charlotte, you are mine. I've waited so dam
ned long.”

  She shivered, completely at the mercy of her fluctuating emotions. Maybe it was instinct, or maybe she didn't want to be alone, but the amount of desire she felt for him was overwhelming to the point of being in pain just thinking about turning him away.

  But even if she'd wanted to, Ulric didn't give her a chance, lifting her up to carry over to the blanket laid out near the tree stump. Charlotte found herself lowered onto it as he tilted her face to catch her gaze, letting her see that he was on the edge with a single look into his blue eyes.

  She could even sense his state of being, leaning on her elbows against the blanket behind her as he directed, “Tell me what you need, sweetness, before I lose control.”

  “Because of your dragon blood?”

  “Yes,” he confirmed as his large frame moved over her. Charlotte's thighs parted around one of his legs, her heart thudding as he drew a hand up her side to her breast, groaning hotly, “I want to rip this off and take you harder than you can stand. But I don't want to scare you.”

  His fingers curled into the strap of her dress, making it fall from her shoulder as he anxiously awaited her response.

  Charlotte was just as lost in her own instincts, and couldn't think of a single reason not to throw caution to the wind. There wasn't even a need for contraception because she could control her fertility now.

  So she told him precisely the way she felt.

  “I need you, Ulric, and everything you have to give, right now. You'd only scare me if you backed away.”

  Ulric growled in response, the sound exciting her as he claimed her mouth in a carnal kiss, like a promise of what she was in for, and Charlotte was completely ready to find out.

  Dazed from the kiss when he sat back, she gasped as Ulric demandingly jerked her top down to expose her breasts to his view for the first time. Her nipples were already straining with anticipation when he gathered them both in his large hands, capturing one hard peak in his mouth.

  Charlotte's head fell back, pleasure spreading through her while he sucked one, then the other, greedily laving both until her nipples were damp in the cool air.

  Where she'd been skeptical about sleeping with him before, now all she cared about was enjoying his attention, convinced she was about to learn exactly what she'd been missing all along.

  Chapter 28

  Ulric wasn't sure this was real. Charlotte was inviting him in, and his heart pounded in anticipation after waiting so long to find her.

  He'd initially tried to latch onto whatever control he could to keep from frightening her, but it all faded with her confession. Knowing she wanted him, he couldn't stop himself, exposing her soft breasts to his gaze for the first time.

  Her nipples were pink and straining for his touch. His cock pulsed in response to the sight as he sucked each in turn until she moaned his name. Hearing the sound of her enjoyment, he pushed her clothes down further, his eyes trailing along every inch of smooth skin revealed.

  Her dress became bunched around her thighs, and Ulric hooked his thumbs into her panties, pulling them both off as Charlotte lifted her hips to help. Once she was completely nude, his eyes traced her shapely legs to the junction of her thighs, then her breasts with her strawberry blonde hair hanging over one shoulder.

  How could such an exquisite woman be his mate? What the hell did I do right?

  During his thoughts, she sat up and reached for the waistband of his pants to open them, drawing him from his stupor. Ulric quickly assisted, discarding his jeans carelessly before pulling Charlotte up until her soft breasts flattened against his chest while his shaft pressed into her lower belly.

  He groaned low at the contact, claiming her mouth in a demanding kiss. She wrapped her arms around him in turn, her hands searching his broad back as he grasped her ass in a tight squeeze.

  Charlotte moaned, breaking the kiss and ridding him of even more restraint when she rasped, “You're making me ache again, Ulric.”

  “Only so I can ease it,” he growled, wrapping some of her hair around his fist to tug her head back and run his mouth along the length of her throat. At the same time, his fingers found their way up her inner thigh to cup her sex, and he let a possessive growl at how wet she'd already become for him.

  Ulric wanted this first time to be perfect, but his Wrath made it feel impossible to pace himself as he laid her against the blanket—especially in parting her thighs to glimpse her flesh glistening and flushed with need.

  Recalling how sweet she was, how addicting, he rasped, “I need to taste you again.”

  Securing her thighs in his hands, Ulric leaned in, covering her folds with his mouth. His tongue drove inside her tight walls, and Charlotte moaned loudly, her hips bucking when he glided the wet muscle in and out, groaning at her taste.

  Ulric paid close attention to her reactions, learning how she liked this kind of attention best. When he sucked her swollen clitoris, batting it swiftly, she grasped his horns and cried his name, proving it was sensitive.

  So he took full advantage, rolling his tongue against the little nub harder until Charlotte was panting.

  “Ulric! Please, I want you now!”

  She tried to push him away, and he instinctively growled, unwilling to give up what he'd claimed. Reaching, he grasped her breasts in both hands, pinching her nipples while laving her most sensitive spot all over.

  Charlotte writhed for him, moaning erotically until her voice got stuck in her throat as if he had her right on the edge.

  Nothing could've been better than this, and he only wanted more.

  Once again, Ulric drove Charlotte to the peak of pleasure with no trouble. She couldn't think beyond her most basic instincts, her desire to have him and give herself in turn, bucking when he refused to stop his erotic kiss with a possessive growl, hungrily sucking and licking her sensitive flesh.

  Her head thrashed to the side as she chanted the words oh god over the building pleasure, mindlessly clutching him to her body, and her orgasm took her by surprise.

  “Ulric!” Her back arched, heated bliss overwhelming her until she thought she'd literally explode. Each lap of his tongue against her clit seemed to draw it out, making it more intense, like her release would never fade.

  Even when it did, she was ready for so much more.

  Panting and dazed, she cracked her eyes open when she sensed movement. Ulric had lifted himself over her, and her gaze roamed over his muscular body, admiring his broad chest, those glowing marks, and his defined abdomen where her gaze fixed on the thick shaft jutting over her sex.

  Breathless, Charlotte wrapped her fingers around it, squeezing. The swollen cap was already moist, and Ulric grunted in pleasure, exciting her even further.

  Then he grabbed her wrist to stop her, rasping, “Not yet, sweetness.”

  “But … ,” she started, trailing when he took the backs of her knees to spread her legs wider, then watched the incredibly erotic sight of his large fist grasping that hard length to position against her.

  “I need you too badly to wait,” he growled wildly.

  Going tense with anticipation, Charlotte forgot to breathe as the crown gently pressed against her, nudging inside. She felt herself stretching to accommodate his size, grasping his arms tight when she expected pain to follow.

  But taking more of him inch by inch, there was nothing that could've been described as uncomfortable, just heat and a sense of fullness as their bodies joined completely for the first time. Ulric groaned loudly, his hips stilling once he was wedged deep inside her, and Charlotte noticed his pained expression, as if keeping himself in check was the hardest thing he'd ever done.

  “You're so tight … ”

  “Or you're big.”

  His blue eyes opened, locking on hers. “Does it hurt?”

  The concern in his voice melted her heart. Ulric was trying to control himself despite his Wrath, putting her enjoyment first, and she shook her head, “No, I want to feel you moving. Please?”

  At her
request, he growled, leaning over her before drawing his hips back to slowly thrust inside again. Charlotte sucked in a breath, her eyes closing when he repeated the motion, falling into a moderate rhythm.

  That sense of connection began building, pleasure budding inside of her with each deep, slow plunge between her legs, slowly growing stronger until she gasped, “Oh my god!”

  She knew how surprised she sounded, but couldn't help it. Penetration was always mediocre at best, painful at worst, and now, it just got better and better. Each push made her more restless than the last, and the sounds he emitted drove her wild.

  “Please don't stop, Ulric, it's so good!”

  Bracing one arm by her head while locking the other around her lower back, he raised her hips with her legs at his sides, promising sinfully, “It's about to get so good you can't stand it.”

  His pace grew faster with those words, and she arched her back, her breasts jutting as her nipples brushed his chest with each movement. The angle had him brushing her clit on reentry, and Charlotte scoured his back with her nails.

  But he didn't seem to care, suddenly bucking into her—hard.

  She gasped in surprise, and for a brief moment, their gazes locked. There was a predatory look in his glowing eyes just as he started hammering between her legs, taking her furiously.

  She cried his name, having never felt more entwined with another person—and she needed that connection.

  “That it, baby?” he growled.

  “Yes! I'm already … getting so close! I can't—”

  She was silenced by a wild kiss, squirming against him as he continued driving deep, bringing her pleasure so intense it was almost frightening. But Charlotte was desperate to experience it, to come while he was inside her.

  Just when she thought she was about to, he went completely still.

  “No!” she cried in disappointed protest as Ulric sat back, pulling her up with little effort to settle her over his lap.

  “Ulric!”